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‘Like my head is full of hammers.’

‘Your nanites will likely fix that in a moment,’ I told him.

Henrik checked the little machine still attached to Reece’s finger and nodded. ‘Your heartrate is already evening out.’

‘The pain is almost gone,’ Reece muttered thoughtfully.

‘Good,’ I said, drawing their attention back to me. ‘Because it’s time.’

Henrik quickly packed away his supplies and stood, raising the bag up as evidence that he was packed and ready to go. ‘I’ll head to the hangar bay.’

‘Reece, you should go with him,’ I said.

His brows dipped low and his lips pursed in dissatisfaction. ‘But I’m okay. I said I was fine. My head doesn’t even hurt anymore.’

‘Exactly,’ I said. ‘I assume your job inside the web was completed?’

‘Yes, of course.’

‘Then head to the hangar bay. I’ll meet you down there as soon as I’m done up here.’

He inhaled sharply, understanding my order. ‘Have they made contact yet?’

My lips thinned. ‘Not yet, but I’m expecting it any moment now.’

‘Right. Okay. The hangar bay.’

I caught his glance towards the others still glowing blue as they navigated whatever technological realm I wasn’t privy to. ‘I will send them to join you when they have completed raising the shields.’

He nodded curtly and strode from the room, spine ramrod straight as tension radiated from him like a physical warning not to get too close. Good. He would need that to drive him forward for the next stage, especially considering who and what we were about to face.

The holo-screen beeped just as the door slid closed behind him, signalling the incoming transition I had been waiting on. I brushed off some invisible dust from my jumpsuit and positioned myself to avoid showing the table full of cyborgs within the frame, then nodded for Eloria to answer the call.

My breath hitched at the face that filled the screen, answering a question that had been plaguing me since we left Nova Station while adding even more.

‘Captain Hironimus,’ she greeted.

Her face was more gaunt than I remembered it being, dark bruises circling her eyes and her cheeks hollowing from malnutrition. Stress lined her face in even more wrinkles, and her previously salt-and-pepper hair was pulled back into a tight bun of pure grey. Had it only been a few days since we had last seen one another? Surely not, if she looked so haggard.

‘Colonel Granger.’

I didn’t correct her misuse of the title. Yes, I was still technically a captain by military standards, but the lack of a ship under my command nullified that fact. And, of course, the fact that I was a deserter.

‘The ship you have stolen is owned by The Program and is therefore under the jurisdiction of the IU’s military. You will stand down and surrender to your arrest as the law demands. Prepare to be boarded and face the consequences of your betrayal, Captain.’

‘Understood, Colonel Granger. You may board at your leisure,’ I agreed, keeping my voice and expression devoid of all emotion. I couldn’t give us up just yet.

Her eyes widened in surprise as her demands were met with zero resistance. From my standpoint I couldn’t figure out if she was glad or disappointed in the easy acquiescence, nor could I tell if she had been bullied into joining enemy forces or if she was still on our side. I supposed it didn’t matter in the end, her role in this war already used up and her significance greatly depleted. All I could hope for was that she came out the other side.

The call cut off before she could reply, and I scowled at the suddenly empty holo-screen.

‘Xander?’ Eloria’s sweet voice called, her concern for me clear. She was well aware of the relationship I had with Colonel Granger. Professionally, she may as well have been my military mother after taking me under her wing all those solars ago.

I sent her a sad smile, a small concession out of respect for our growing friendship. ‘I’m fine, Eloria. Don’t worry about me.’

Her answering deadpan look wasn’t even slightly apologetic. ‘Don’t tell me not to worry about my friends, Xan. That will always be a given.’

I sighed but let it drop. Truthfully, her response filled me with a mixture of emotions that confused me. On the one hand, I was pleased at her referencing me as a friend, but something about that was bittersweet. Yes, we were friendly, but there was something about her that made a heat stir in my groin. A heat I hadn’t entertained since I first discovered my feelings for Adara.